A full field of 12 (and one also-eligible) highlights this weekend's lone Grade 1 contest, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland on Saturday. The top choice for the nine-furlong turf contest is international shipper Mawj, a half-sister to champion and two-time Breeders' Cup winner Modern Games trained by Saeed bin Suroor. A pair of French-bred fillies, Elusive Princess and Lindy, each now based in the U.S., should provide an interesting betting race.
The world's richest turf race, the $20 million Everest, will go off at 1:15 a.m. (Eastern) on Saturday morning at Australia's Royal Randwick.
State-breds will be on display at multiple tracks this weekend as well.
Headlining the action at Laurel Park is Saturday's 1 1/8-mile Maryland Million Classic for 3-year-olds and up, the richest on a 12-race card featuring eight stakes and four starter stakes that comprise 'Maryland's Day at the Races,' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.
West Virginia-breds take center stage at Charles Town Saturday, with nine total stakes topped by the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders' Classic.
Canadian-foaled 2-year-olds get their chance to shine Saturday in the 1 1/16-mile Cup and Saucer Stakes over the Woodbine turf course.
Also on Friday, 2-year-old Louisiana-breds will be in the spotlight with a pair of stakes races at Delta Downs.
Saturday
1:10 p.m. – Grade 2 Sands Point Stakes at Aqueduct
Grade 1-placed Irish-bred Be Your Best will look to return to winning form in the nine-furlong inner turf route for sophomore fillies. Trained by Horacio De Paz, the Muhaarar bay returns to New York following a runner-up effort on Aug. 19 in the nine-furlong Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.
Eternal Hope [post 7, Jamie Spencer] will face four returning rivals from her deep-closing score last out in the 11-furlong Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational on September 16 here for trainer Charlie Appleby. The Teofilo chestnut was away last-of-7 under Jamie Spencer in the 11-furlong test and trailed as many as 23 lengths back before rallying six-wide down the lane to secure a neck score over Neecie Marie.
Neecie Marie [post 5, Abner Adorno] returns for another crack at Eternal Hope following her narrow miss last out after a ground-saving rally under returning rider Abner Adorno in the Jockey Club Oaks for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.
Others returning from the Jockey Club Oaks are fourth-place Highland Grace [post 8, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Barclay Tagg, fifth-place Quarrel [post 2, Kendrick Carmouche] for conditioner Robert Ribaudo, and the Jose Jimenez-trained pacesetter Stephanie's Charm [post 9, Jose Gomez], who will race with blinkers off.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will also send out a formidable pair of contenders looking to make the grade in dual Grade 3-placed Alpha Bella [post 10, Jose Ortiz] and Soviet Excess [post 1, Dylan Davis].
5:10 p.m. – Maryland Million Classic at Laurel Park
Ournationonparade will be chasing history in more ways than one when the 6-year-old gelding returns to make a title defense in the $150,000 Classic on the 38th Jim McKay Maryland Million Day. Ournationonparade, co-owned and trained by Jamie Ness, can become just the sixth horse to win the Classic in back-to-back years and the first since Admirals War Chest in 2015-16.
Seven rivals (plus three also-eligibles) are expected to face the defending Ournationonparade.
Maryland Million Classic Entries
5:16 p.m. – Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland
Mawj, a half-sister to champion and two-time Breeders' Cup winner Modern Games, headlines a field of 12 3-year-old fillies plus one also-eligible entered for the 40th running of the $600,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) to be contested at 1 1/8 miles over the Keeneland turf course.
Trained by Saeed bin Suroor, Mawj will be making her North American debut in her first start since winning the Qipco One Thousand Guineas (G1) in May at Newmarket in England going a mile. She is undefeated in three races in 2023 with her first two victories coming at Meydan in the United Arab Emirates. Oisin Murphy has the mount on Mawj and will break from post 4.
Looming as a major threat to Mawj is Elusive Princess. Now trained by Arnaud Delacour, Elusive Princess cruised to a 3¼-length victory as the favorite in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G3) on Aug. 4 in her North American debut. Group 1-placed in Europe this spring, Elusive Princess will exit post 2 and be ridden by Flavien Prat.
Sunday
4:12 p.m. – Grade 2 Franklin Stakes at Keeneland
Caravel will attempt to become the second runner to win the $350,000 Franklin (G2) in consecutive years when she headlines a field of nine fillies and mares for the 5½-furlong turf sprint. Trained by Brad Cox, Caravel is perfect in three Keeneland starts with the initial victory coming in last year's Franklin. Following that triumph, she beat the boys in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) and opened her 2023 campaign with a win over males in the Shakertown (G2). Regular rider Tyler Gaffalione has the mount and will break from post 1.
Leading the opposition to Caravel is Stonestreet Stables' Twilight Gleaming, a five-time stakes winner that includes a victory in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar. Trained by Wesley Ward, Twilight Gleaming will be ridden by John Velazquez and break from post 4.
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